Tarrant County approves reducing number of polling sites ahead of 2026 midterms

TARRANT COUNTY, Texas - The Tarrant County Commissioners Court has approved a plan to reduce the number of polling sites in the county.

Tarrant County cuts voting sites

What we know:

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court voted 3-2, down party lines, to approve a plan to cut the number of polling sites in the county to 224. That's down from the 312 total polling sites the county had for the 2022 midterm elections.

Among the voting sites that were cut is a site on the campus of the University of Texas at Arlington.

Proponents of the move, including Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare, say the county would save $1 million in taxpayer money. Low turnout at certain sites during the 2024 elections was also cited as a reason for the potential closure.

Critics of the proposed move say it amounts to voter suppression, with many of the locations that would be shuttered being located in areas where residents are mainly people of color.

Opponents also questioned the urgent need to save taxpayer money. Tarrant County is currently on record as having more than $80 million in reserves.

August 4 vote delayed

The backstory:

The vote to close polling locations across Tarrant County was supposed to happen during an August 4 Tarrant County Commissioners Court meeting.

However, during that August 4 meeting, heated debate broke out, resulting in multiple clearings of the room after a resident compared the plan to Texas becoming Russia, and after another resident called the vote "extremist (expletive)."

Multiple people were thrown out of the meeting during public comment. Former Texas State Rep. Lon Burnam was arrested after picking the microphone up during his time and charged with disruption of a meeting or procession.

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court voted 3-2 to table the vote on cutting polling sites until September.

September 1 TCCC meeting

Local perspective:

Long lines were again seen outside of Tuesday's Tarrant County Commissioners Court meeting.

Many of those who did speak during the meeting's public comment portion voiced their opposition to the planned cuts.

"Voting is a right, not a privilege," Jill Duramis, who opposes the move, said during the meeting. "Making citizens jump through hoops to vote is the kind of cowardice engaged in by people who don't think they can earn our votes."

Critics pointed to families that have limited access or rely on public transportation as those who could completely lose access to their ability to vote if sites are cut.

"When people feel unheard, they don't simply disappear. They keep showing up, they keep speaking, and they keep demanding to be represented," Gwen Berude said. "So before you vote, ask yourselves, ‘Does this plan make it easier or harder for people you represent to cast their ballot?’ Vote accordingly."

Some speakers did voice approval for cutting the total number of polling locations.

"We have an equal number of voters in each precinct. We have an equal number of polling places in each precinct," TK Campbell said. "I don't know how that's not fair. Any claims of disenfranchisement ignore the old imbalances that were there, and the fact that every voter still has access."

Commissioner Alisa Simmons went on a mini-filibuster before the vote. Commissioner Roderick Miles gave an impassioned speech ahead of the vote.

"The government is by the people and for the people. That's everybody," Miles said. "The people who have cars, the people who have money for bus fares, and the people who don't. They all need to have the ability to vote."

What's next:

Elections on a statewide and national level are set to be held on Nov. 3.